Machine for hulling and ginning cotton



3 Sheets-Sheet i.

W. L. CR'OWSON.

MACHINE PoR HULLING AND GINNINGIGOTTON, 6m.

(No Model.)

I Patented Apr. 4. 882.

l n. i

3 Sheets-Sheet 24 (No Model.)

W. L. CROWSON.

MACHINE FOR HULLING AND GINNING COTTON, (50.`

Patented Apr.`4,188 2. l

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet W. L. CROWSON.

MAGHINE FOR HULLING AND GINNING COTTON, &c. No. 255,942. PatentedAp1-.4,1882.

s UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'WILLIAM L. CROWSON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

MACHINE FOR HULLlG AND GINNING COTTON, SLC.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 255,942, dated April4, 1882,

Application Filed May 7, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLLAM L. GnowsoN, of the city of St. Louis, in theState of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMachines for Hulling and Grinning Cotton and Linting Cotton-Seed,0fwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had tothe accompanying drawings, making partof this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top view with part of the breast andbrush-chamber broken away. Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectionofthe circumferentially-grooved roller and part ofthesaw-cylinder. Fig.Sis adetaillongitudinal section of part of the grooved roller andsaw-cylinder enlarged. Fig. 4 isadetal ofsawstrip in course ofconstruction, and Fig. 5 is a view of same toothed and curved to tit thesaw drum or cylinder. Fig. 6 is atransverse section of the saw-strip ata: Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the machine with part of thebreast broken away. Fig. 8 is a side view of' the tinted roller thatturns in the bottom of the cotton-box. Fig. 9 is a section ot same at xa', a portion ot' the frame and shaft and the pulley being removed. Fig10 is an end elevation of the machine. Fig. 1l is=a vertical transversesection of the machine at x2 m2, Fig. 1. Fig. 12 is an elevation oftheright breasthead, showing the adjustable hearings of the rollers. Fig.13 is a section at w3 w3, Fig.-12. Fig. 14 is an enlarged horizontalsection at x4 x4, Fig. l2. Fig. 15 is anenlarged vertical rsection at x5m5, Fig. 12. Fig. 16 is a top view ofthe double-grooved idler-pulley andits supporting-bracket, and Figs. 17 and 18 are respectively side andend views of same.

Fig. 19 is a vertical section at x6 w, Figs. 1 and 7. Fig. 20 shows themechanism l'or drivingthe grooved roll and the rolls above it, the

view being a section 011 line a x7, Fig. 7. Fig. 21 isau .end view ofthe breast. Fig. 22 is a perspective view of the lever for theadjustrollers above it.

vThe case'has 'ends A, front B, back C, and top D. Eis `the breast,which is hung to the heads F F by meansof studs g projecting outwardlyfromtlle upper partof the metal straps G, that form the ends of thebreast. The breast is held in position by gravity. It may be turnedupward or lifted from tle machine.

The frame-work ot' the machine is shown at H. I claim no novelty in thisframe-work.

I is the saw-shaft,carrying a driving-belt pulley, J, as usual, abrush-belt pulley, K, and spur-whcel L.

t' are end screws for the lateral adjustment of the saw-shaft.

I will now describe the novel construction of my saw-cylinder. It has acylinder, M, of wood or other suitable material, to whose circumferencethe saw-strips N are attached by screws. Each saw-strip extends aroundor a portion of the circumference of the drum M, and such strip consistsot' a piece of angle-steel. One of the flanges nis thinner at the edge,and this lange is formed into teeth. (See Fig. 4.) Then the other [langeor base, n, is curved to t the circumference of the cylinder or drumM.(Sec Fig.5.) Theangen'hasscrew-holestoreceive screws a2, by which thestrip is attached to the cylinder. By this construction of saw-stripsand means ot' attachment I am enabled to x the saws securely upon thecylinder at very much less distance apart than is feasible with theordinary construction, such nearness being admissible and proper to mysystem of ginning cotton, in which a circumferentiallygrooved roller,I?, is' substituted for the fixed ribs in common use. lIhe whole lengthofthe sawteeth does not enter the grooves p; butthe interdental gapsextend beyond the peripheries of the circumferential ribs p', so that asingle bunch of cotton fiber may extend along the cylinder and rollerpast several saw-teeth and ribs without breakage orbeing drawn out ofthe teeth.

In this systcmof ginning the saws may be placed so near together thatthe cotton-seeds i dinary practice, in which the cotton :ber is drawnthrough narrow slits between tixcd ribs, which necessitates that thesaws should be so far asuuder that the teeth of two different sawswill'not take a fast hold of the same bunch of bers, because this wouldlap the bunch over IOO a rib and cause the breakage of the fibers andconsequentdeteriorationof thecotton. there fixed ribs are used the sawsare generally set 5 p may be about three thirty-seconds ofan inch inwidth, so that no cotton-seeds will pass through them, and the ribspapproaeh so near the sawcylinder that there is not space for thepassage of cotton-seeds at this point when the Io parts are in positionfor ginning or linting.

I prefer to make the edges of the ribs p with notches or serrat'ions toenable them to take a better hold upon the cotton-seed. The seed, whendenudedofcotton fiber, drops from V the cotton-roll and escapes betweenthe sawcylinder and the iiuted roller Q and out through the seed mouthor chute E beneath the breast of the machine. The luted roller Q assiststhe escape ot' seeds by carrying them 2o toward the mouth E', and alsoassists the revolution of the cottonroll. In addition tothe above,the'uted roller throws the cotton upon the face of the saw-cylinder,where the sawteeth engage the ber where there is any upon the seed 5 butwhere the seed is devoid ofliber it drops from the saweylinder andescapes between the cylinder and the tluted roller. I prefer to make theflutes or grooves gin this roller large enough to receive a cotton-seedwhen devoid of fiber, so that it may carry the clear seed out when themachine is usedfor alinter.

K is a grooved pulley on the saw-shaft I,

connected bya belt, R, with the pulley Q upon the gudgeon or shaft ofthe tluted roller Q.

(See Fig. l0.) The belt R passes over an idler or tightening pulley, S,which has bearing on a bracket, S', that is slotted at s 'for thepassage ofa bolt or bolts, s', by which it is sevcuredto the frameH. Bymoving the bracketV 4o backward the belt It is tightened, and ,vice

versa. The shaft of roller Q has bearing in boxes T, that have forwardand backward adjustment in slotsfof the heads F and F. The boxes T areheld and adjusted by screws U,

which screw in lugs T beneath the boxes.

The screws turn in bearings t, which prevent its endwise movement, butallow it to turn freely. Upon the outer side of each box T is aprojection, t', against which the lower edge 5o ofthe breast rests, andwhich holds the breast the required distance from the roller Q, thelower end ofthe breast being held in by its weight. t

The spur-wheel L upon the saw-shaft I engages with a spur-wheel, V, upona short shaft,

V', that turns in bearing W and a recess, y, of a spider, Y, that isadjustable on the shalt as a pivot. The shaft V carries a spur-wheel,V2. At each end ot' the cotton-box is a spider,

Co Y,giving journal-bearing tothe grooved roller QI), and also to one ormore rollers, Z, above the same. The roller Z rotates in the same direction as that of I), and serves to assist the roll ot' cotton in itsrotation and to prevent the roller P from carrying the cotton over itstop.

yThe gudgeons or shafts ofthe rollers P Z Z extend through slots in theheads F F', so as to allow them to be raised or lowered as occasion mayrequire. This adjustment is made by turning the spider on its pivot aty. The spider may be' moved by any suitable means. I have shown for thispurpose a lever, a,turn ing on a fulcrum, a', and having at the innerend a stud, a2, which engages in a slot, y', of the spider. a3 is a slotconcentric with the fulcrum a. Through this slot passes a bolt, a, thatscrews into the head to hold the lever to its adjustment. The spider isalso preferably held in place by screw-bolts a5 and a, which passthrough slots a7 and a8 in the spider and head, respectively. n

e is the brush cylinder or drum. It is the mote-board. It is thecotton-discharge orifice fiomthemachine. Thebrush'cylinderis driven by abelt on pulleys K and e. y

Operation: When the machine is used to gin cotton the grooved roller Pis in about the position shown relatively to the saw-cylinder. Theiiuted roller Q is also in about the position shown, so as to give spacefor the escape of cotton-seed between the saw-cylinder and the iiutedroller.

When using the machine as a linter the grooved roller P may bein theposition shown in the drawings,or even nearer to the saweylinder, andthe uted roller may be placed so near to thesaw-cylinderas topreventtheescape of cotton-seed between them until the lint has beenremoved from it. The cleaned seeds are carried around in the iiutes qand dropped out oi" the machine at E.

When the machine is used for a huller the roller I), with the roller orrollers Z, is raised, so as to allow a space between the roller P andthe saw-cylinder for the passage ot' seed-cotton, but notsuflicientlylarge to allow the free passage ofthe hulls, and the llutedroller Q is seta greater distance from the saw-cylinder to allow theescape ot' the hulls. The iiutes or grooves q are of any proper t'orm.

I claim herein as my invention- 1. The combination of acircumfcrentiallygrooved roller, P, mounted in adjustable bearings, andasaw-cyliuder having claw-teeth, the said roller being adapted to receivethe teeth ofthe saw within its grooves and to be adjusted with referencevto the saws to adapt the device for ginning, linting, or hulling, asset forth.v j

2. The combination, with a saw-cylinder, of the rollers P and Z, madeadjustable in distance from the saw-cylinder, for the purpose set forth.

3. The adjustable rotating fluted roller Q,

VILLIAM L. GROVVSON.

In presence of- SAML. KNIGHT, Guo. H. KNIGHT.

IOO

IlO

